I have two spaghetti squash recipes to share. One I made this past weekend and one shared by another CSA member.
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| Maple-Glazed Tofu with Spaghetti Squash |
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| Spaghetti Squash and Tomato Bake |
Monday, September 10, 2012
Spaghetti Squash Two Ways
I have two spaghetti squash recipes to share. One I made this past weekend and one shared by another CSA member.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Some like it HOT!!
If this summer wasn't hot enough it is about to get hotter. Actually you may be cooled off by cooking with the hot peppers that are in season now. Spicy foods make you sweat which has an evaporative cooling effect. Hence spicy cuisine comes from hot climates.
So here are some recipes and tips to enjoy your hot pepper mix!
Tips
It is best to wear latex gloves when cutting hot peppers but if you don't have any on hand or forget try these tricks to get the hot off...
1. Dish Soap - Wash your hands with dish soap. Most dish soaps have oil-dissolving properties that work better than hand soap.
2. Rubbing Alcohol - Chili oil is more soluble in alcohol than water so use rubbing alcohol to soothe the burn. If all you have on hand is vodka that will work too.
If you bite into a pepper that has a little too much of the capsaicin for your taste buds DO NOT DRINK WATER!! Instead gulp down some milk or take a mouthful of another dairy product like yogurt or sour cream which contains the protein casein that breaks down the capsaicin. Acidic foods or beverages like lemonade or something tomato based can also neutralize the burn. And finally eating your peppers with carbohydrates like bread, rice or tortillas,
Recipes
Homemade Hot Sauce
Pickled Peppers (a peck!)
Stuffed Hot Peppers
Hot Pepper Jelly
So here are some recipes and tips to enjoy your hot pepper mix!
Tips
It is best to wear latex gloves when cutting hot peppers but if you don't have any on hand or forget try these tricks to get the hot off...
1. Dish Soap - Wash your hands with dish soap. Most dish soaps have oil-dissolving properties that work better than hand soap.
2. Rubbing Alcohol - Chili oil is more soluble in alcohol than water so use rubbing alcohol to soothe the burn. If all you have on hand is vodka that will work too.
If you bite into a pepper that has a little too much of the capsaicin for your taste buds DO NOT DRINK WATER!! Instead gulp down some milk or take a mouthful of another dairy product like yogurt or sour cream which contains the protein casein that breaks down the capsaicin. Acidic foods or beverages like lemonade or something tomato based can also neutralize the burn. And finally eating your peppers with carbohydrates like bread, rice or tortillas,
Recipes
Homemade Hot Sauce
Pickled Peppers (a peck!)
Stuffed Hot Peppers
Hot Pepper Jelly
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
That Sweet Summer Corn!
Corn has gotten a really bad rap lately with films like King Corn and Supersize Me, as well as, the commercial wars over high fructose corn syrup, but sweet yellow or white corn is always welcome on my dinner plate (or breakfast or lunch) as long as it is local and in season! The corn that has become ubiquitous in processed foods, fast food meals and sweet drinks, feed for livestock and fuel for our cars is not what we expect to see at the backyard BBQs. Numerous non-edible varieties of corn are used for the, well, non-edible uses. Whether it is edible or not though corn requires a humongous amount of energy and chemical input to get good yields.
What's unique about the corn we get from One Straw Farm is it is organic which is actually quite challenging to grow. One Straw didn't grow corn for most of its history as a farm but CSA members clamored for corn in their share so Drew and Joan started experimenting. They have gotten pretty good at it but a word to the wise with your CSA corn...it might have a few residents living and feeding in it. And it probably won't be around for long because fighting all those bugs and worms is only effective in the beginning.
Ok enough of the blah blah blah about corn. On to what you really want which is new ideas for how to use it!
Storage Tips: Wrap unhusked ears in a plastic bag and refrigerate until preparation time. Do not remove husks before storing fresh corn....The husks help retain freshness.
Storage Tips: Wrap unhusked ears in a plastic bag and refrigerate until preparation time. Do not remove husks before storing fresh corn....The husks help retain freshness.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Resource for food preservation
Have more veggies than you can eat? Here are some resources to help you stock pile the bounty of the summer harvest for eating later in the year:
- Guidelines for blanching and freezing veggies from the National Center for Home Food Preservation
- Pickling Vegetables, a guide from Oregon State University, University of Idaho and Washington State University (PDF)
- Freezing food for winter crockpot meals (Pinterest)
- Freezer-Friendly Foods from Martha Stewart
Monday, August 13, 2012
Tomato, brown rice and quinoa risotto
So I like to make my risotto with brown rice, since it is a) healthier and b) a little more hands-off with the cooking. I didn't really use a recipe for this so I'll just outline what I did generally.
Aromatic vegetables: 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeno, all finely chopped.
Roasted vegetables: 1/2 onion, 1 yellow squash, 1 large tomato, 1 green bell pepper, cut into pieces and roasted in a bit of oil and salt at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so. Skins removed from the tomato and bell pepper after roasting. Everything chopped into small pieces after that.
Other stuff: Italian seasonings, 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup quinoa, about 4 cups of chicken broth, 1 cup of red wine, a bit of butter and olive oil, and 6 cherry tomatoes: seeds and 'goop' removed and pressed through strainer to reserve liquid; finely chopped.
Cooking method: Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a nonstick pot. When butter is melted, add aromatic vegetables, seasoned with salt and pepper.
After aromatic vegetables have softened, add brown rice and quinoa and sautee until rice becomes opaque (it can be hard to tell, but it takes 3-5 minutes). Add 1 cup of chicken broth, along with chopped cherry tomatoes and their liquid, set burner to medium to medium-low heat, and stir.
From here on out: when liquid is almost absorbed, add more, about a half cup at a time, stirring every 3 minutes or so. After adding about two cups of broth, add the wine, then return to adding broth. Taste frequently for seasoning (I added dried oregano and Italian herbs, some red pepper flakes, and a pinch of saffron).
After adding almost all of the broth, stir in the roasted vegetables and the rest of the broth. Continue stirring and cooking until liquid is absorbed, but risotto still has a viscous quality to it. You may need to add a little more water or broth to make sure that the brown rice is cooked to your liking.
After turning off the heat, optionally, shredded parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese can be stirred in, as well as chopped parsley and/or basil. The flavor profile is pretty open to other additions, or changes to the vegetables. This recipe made at least 5 servings (I'll see when I run out). Making delicious risotto is easy and a great way to use CSA vegetables :). I'll be sure to get a picture uploaded soon to go along with this post.
Aromatic vegetables: 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeno, all finely chopped.
Roasted vegetables: 1/2 onion, 1 yellow squash, 1 large tomato, 1 green bell pepper, cut into pieces and roasted in a bit of oil and salt at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so. Skins removed from the tomato and bell pepper after roasting. Everything chopped into small pieces after that.
Other stuff: Italian seasonings, 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup quinoa, about 4 cups of chicken broth, 1 cup of red wine, a bit of butter and olive oil, and 6 cherry tomatoes: seeds and 'goop' removed and pressed through strainer to reserve liquid; finely chopped.
Cooking method: Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a nonstick pot. When butter is melted, add aromatic vegetables, seasoned with salt and pepper.
After aromatic vegetables have softened, add brown rice and quinoa and sautee until rice becomes opaque (it can be hard to tell, but it takes 3-5 minutes). Add 1 cup of chicken broth, along with chopped cherry tomatoes and their liquid, set burner to medium to medium-low heat, and stir.
From here on out: when liquid is almost absorbed, add more, about a half cup at a time, stirring every 3 minutes or so. After adding about two cups of broth, add the wine, then return to adding broth. Taste frequently for seasoning (I added dried oregano and Italian herbs, some red pepper flakes, and a pinch of saffron).
After adding almost all of the broth, stir in the roasted vegetables and the rest of the broth. Continue stirring and cooking until liquid is absorbed, but risotto still has a viscous quality to it. You may need to add a little more water or broth to make sure that the brown rice is cooked to your liking.
After turning off the heat, optionally, shredded parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese can be stirred in, as well as chopped parsley and/or basil. The flavor profile is pretty open to other additions, or changes to the vegetables. This recipe made at least 5 servings (I'll see when I run out). Making delicious risotto is easy and a great way to use CSA vegetables :). I'll be sure to get a picture uploaded soon to go along with this post.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Growing food from leftover CSA items
For those of you like to grow plants or curious about how plants grow, did you know you can grow food from some kitchen scraps?
Take those green onions we received last week. Instead of throwing out the white ends with the roots, I plant them in a container (medium sized or larger) or in my community garden plot. They grow rather easily and next thing I know, I have green onions at home to pick when needed.
Other items I have grown include garlic, beets (with mixed results), and pineapple.
Check out this article for more tips on growing food from kitchen scraps. They include more detailed instructions for green onions, as well as garlic, sweet potatoes and more.
Take those green onions we received last week. Instead of throwing out the white ends with the roots, I plant them in a container (medium sized or larger) or in my community garden plot. They grow rather easily and next thing I know, I have green onions at home to pick when needed.
Other items I have grown include garlic, beets (with mixed results), and pineapple.
Check out this article for more tips on growing food from kitchen scraps. They include more detailed instructions for green onions, as well as garlic, sweet potatoes and more.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Tomatoes - The Taste Of Summer. First up the Roma!
A.K.A. Plum Tomatoes
Did you know the french called tomatoes pommes d'amour (love apples) and that they are a member of the toxic nightshade family along with tobacco? Love or death I think almost all of us can't wait for that day in summer when the much loved tomato ripens to the vibrant sun soaked red. Tomatoes taste like summer and today marks the day all of us in the CSA have been waiting for - the day the tomatoes arrive!
Storage tips: Store tomatoes
in a cool cupboard stem side down (this will make them keep longer). The flavor is reduced when tomatoes are kept
in a refrigerator.
Recipes:
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| Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette |
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| Baked Roasted Plum Tomatoes |
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| Oven Dried Tomatoes |
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| Pico De Gallo |
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| Basic Tomato Sauce |
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